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If you
know me only from Instagram and have never been here... well, first of all,
hello.
You probably see my edits and pictures almost every day and maybe you asked
yourself how, why and when I started making them, who taught me to do it, when/why
I started posting them on Instagram (or something along those lines) – if you
did, you're in the right place.If you came here wondering why my username is 04.40am, you're not in the right place, but the answer awaits - click here.
Back to the point: I'm going to tell this story from the very beginning.

First thing I did was drawing. Well, maybe not really drawing, it was more like scribbling, as I was too young to even hold my pen properly. My mum was painting at the time, so her and I would
spend days on the floor of our sunshine filled living room making art – or, in
my case, “art“.

After
years of only drawing (if you don't count making my grandma buy me coloring
books every other day), my dad got Adobe Photoshop for our computer. I was
maybe 10-12 and I was really excited.
I started making early versions of digital collages – I would download a
texture, a few photos of one of the celebrities I was obsessed with back then
and I would put them together. Never without By Dunja in bottom right corner, of course (I took protection of my
intellectual property seriously!). They were horrendous but I loved making
them.
I really wish I saved one of those.
But I didn't.

Fast
forward to year 2016 – I wanted to enroll at an art college and study graphic
design, but I failed. Not once, but twice.

When I write it like this, it seems like it was not a big deal. But oh boy. It absolutely was. I cried like
never before (and I've been through some shit in my life).
I wanted that so much. I envisioned myself going there, and, in my mind, I was
already accepted. When the harsh reality of being below the line hit me, I
felt:
a) like a failure and like I have no talent whatsoever (specially because I
failed not only once but TWO times),
b) like my dreams crashed, and
c) like I'm destined to work a job I hate, living the life I hate because I'm
mediocre and that's what I deserve.

I'm
aware how dramatic this sounds, but it was one of my biggest failures to date
(I wasn't used to them) and it hurt even more because I thought I was good at
it (but clearly I wasn't good enough lol).

Note:
I study Italian language and literature, and even though it's interesting and I
don't regret it, I've never seen myself as a translator/professor. It was a
backup plan if Plan A (graphic design) fails. And, well, it did, but studying Italian opened me some new doors that wouldn't be opened otherwise and I
believe (at first I just wanted to believe, but now I truly do) this all
happened for a reason.

The
situation was: 1) I constantly felt the need to create (I still do).
2) What really made me start being active on Instagram – I needed validation. Even
from strangers. I needed others to see me as I see myself, which is as a
creative/artist. Not getting into if that's lame or not, just telling how it is.

At first i was just posting artistic-ish photos without any special effects (as I usually call the
shebangs I add to my photos to make them look as you see them on my feed), just
with VSCO filters.
Then I got bored of it and I wanted something more. I always want MORE of myself, but that's for another story. It
was around March/April 2017, if I remember correctly. Anyway, I started
experimenting with apps such as PicsArt and played with photos and layers, like
I used to years ago, when I was a kid. I am completely self-taught, I didn't
even watch tutorials. I just played around (even though PicsArt is super easy to use to
begin with).
This was the first edit I came up with & posted.

Making
it was interesting and it was different than what I saw other people posting. I
made another one, and then another. Eventually I started posting just them. And
two things happened:
1) I felt my creative juices flowing again and I was super motivated to always
come up with something better. I was super competitive towards my past self.
But above all – I started loving
what I do and getting excited with every new edit (and feeling better about
myself because of it).
2) People started telling me how much they love my edits – in the comments, DMs
and in real life. It makes me incredibly happy when people love what I do so
much that they feel the need to tell me that, even thought they don't have to.
But they want to.
Fun fact: I keep the screenshots of all the wonderful messages I get in a
folder on my phone.

That
encouraged me to keep doing it, other than the fact that not only that it's
fun, but it's also a form of self discovery. With every photo, I dig deep into
my mind to find something new, a new version of myself. Dunja who eats artistic
masterpieces and drinks cities in coffee cups, Dunja with haze made of galaxies
in and around her head, Dunja rocking dissolving crystals as a fashion
statement... (also, do you know how good for your self-esteem is when you
become an artwork? The answer is: hella)
And you see a little piece of my inner world. Or a tiny window to the colorful
mess going on in my head, if you wish.So I keep doing it.

That's
the story... so far. If this was an Wikipedia article, hopefully it would
only be an Early life section.
I have only just begun. And I have many, many
creative things that I'm planning to do in the future.
If you decide to follow me on that journey – thank you ♡

Question I get the most on Instagram, right after "How do you edit your photos?" is what happened at 04:40 AM. And since my username is 04.40am, I totally get it. I've waited to reach 4040 followers, because, you know, it's symbolic and whatnot, and since I finally got there, fasten your seat belts & get ready to hear a story.

(Maybe a little disappointing story, though.)

Once upon a time, one little girl made an Instagram account.
At first, I, at that time strikingly creative & inventive individual, chose a username dunja_jo. Iconic (just kidding) 04.40am wasn't there from the start. Back then, I was a stalker, just as I am now, and I spent more time than I would like to admit on accounts that inspired me and I thought were so creative (which were mostly taking photos of everything and anything around them, but with VSCO filters).
Some of these accounts had (or still have? no idea) an username like a certain time, which I thought was SO cool back then. So yo girl decided to do that as well. There was a minor problem, though - I had no idea what time to choose. It's not like I rush to see what exact time is it every time something important happens. The only thing I knew when happened, and it was important (or should I say the first I've encountered) is when I was born. It's in my documents as well, so there's no lie or fake info.
I also liked the way it looks, symmetric and stuff, so I knew it - 04.40am it is.

So, now you know.
You can also see my natal chart now.
(Jokes aside, if you would like to read me my natal chart in exchange for an edit, article or just good karma, HMU).

5. What to see and do?
You have flight and transportation, now what? Now is time for the most fun part (organizing trip and things to do there is the only form of organization I'm not tragically bad at).
There are not many things I love more than wandering around new city (I have tips for that too - click here and here). Before my trip, I make a list of everything I want to see and a schedule (for more detailed explanation, see next point).
What helps me a LOT with this are DK Eyewitness Travel books that I adore. Hashtag not sponsored (I wouldn't mind that, though).
They contain recommendations for restaurants, museums, galleries and other must-visit places, a brief history of the place, even detailed review and tips for every part of the city/area/country, as well as something about every season there (temperatures, events and manifestations, holiday etc) and many, many more. Their price is 15-30e (depending on shipping) and they're worth every penny.
They have a cool site with a lot of info, too.

• If you know anyone who lives/lived/was there, ask them for recommendations and tips. Some things you just can't know if you weren't there, no matter how much research you did from home.

6. Make a schedule
As I said, first make a list of everything you want to do & see. Then find everything on the map. Group things that are relatively near; visit the ones in one part of the city first, the next day the ones in another part and so on. I personally spend first day not doing anything special, just discovering the city center and/or around my hotel, but it's up to you to figure out what works for you.It's good to have a schedule, but don't make it too busy. Leave some space for improvisation and free time, you're not in the military lol

If you want to visit a big museum or gallery, leave a whole day for that and check the opening hours (some close at 6pm). Believe the person who went to the Louvre 3 hours before closing and then got lost somewhere around tapestries. When I finally found my way back, I got time just to see Mona Lisa (that was really disappointing). Learn from my mistakes.Another thing I learned the hard way is to buy tickets online. Don't stand in line cca 2km long believing that "it's probably fast, we won't have to wait that long". You will.

BONUS TIPS:• At one point or another you'll probably get in a fight with your companions - during the planning or the trip itself. That's normal and, I believe, inevitable. There are conflicts of interests, and besides, it's not easy to be with someone 24/7. Just try to be as tollerant as you can.• Always carry a paper map, just in case.• Double check your passport's expiration date and what documents you need to enter the country. • I repeat: Do not assume anything.• Be open-minded and respect other cultures. If something's done differently than in your country, it doesn't mean it's wrong - it's just different. • Avoid "turist traps" or locals right beside tourist attractions that offer food and drinks, in best case scenario, totally mediocre. But you can't say the same for the price hehe• If you're going by plane, don't forget to find transport from airport to your hotel. There are usually organized airport shuttles / mini buses to the city centre or main station. In European cities they usually cost 5-10e.

'Tis the season - it snowed, decorations are up, semester in schools/unis is about to finish, you can feel holiday spirit so much that you can cut it like a cake.
I don't know about you, but my favorite New Year eves were ones spent on a trip. After you relax, wine and dineand spend timewith your loved ones this festive season, it's a great time to start planning where to travel next - for NYE, a long weekend next spring or even a summer holiday.
You may be on a budget, but, well, I got you.
It doesn't matter if you're reading this now or any other time of the year. If organizing isn't your strongest skill, here are tips & tricks for having a great time on a trip AND saving $$$.

1. First thing first - deciding where you want to go (and then finding a company) or who do you want to go with (so you figure the destination together) and when will your trip happen.Thank you, captain Obvious!
You're welcome.

2. Figure out the budget. The next step is to decide how much do you want to spend on hotel, transport, food (are you going to eat in restaurants or cook?) and other expenses. If it's a family trip or it's not your first time travelling with the same group for people, you probably already know; if it is your first one, this is super important.

3. Transport
My advice is to first figure out the transport, and then accommodation; dates of flights and bus/train trips are often much less flexible. Book both as early as possible. I usually do it 6-8 months in advance, as everything is cheaper and there's wide variety of options to choose from.

If you're from a smaller city, consider catching a flight in a bigger one; sometimes it ends up being cheaper even with the extra costs of going there.

If you choose a roadtrip don't forget extra expenses such as fuel, toll booths and maybe spending the night in a hotel/motel if you wait too long on the border. Great site for helping you with these things is Via Michelin.

4. Accomodation
My favorite sites are booking.com and AirBnb, that you probably already know about. Make sure to read carefully all the reviews and all the information provided. Don't assume anything - if something is not clear, ask. Hotel rooms in Europe that are cheap but look nice sometimes tend to not have private bathroom, but only one on one floor. If you're not a fan of that concept, pay attention to that. I'm not, but I almost booked a room with that charming characteristic.. I saw what's up in the last moment.

My favorite type of accommodation is B&B, for the following reasons:
1. If fits my budget of a college student and my travel style (wake up - have breakfast - discover and wander around whole day - sleep).
2. For breakfast, there's usually buffet, so I make sandwiches for later. After hours and hours of standing/walking, my tired legs and empty stomach thank me for that.To be continued..Click here for the second partIf you want to add something, write me in the comments!

It all started when I was able to hold pen properly. Since I learned that important skill, I started drawing. Those little, clumsy lines became many written texts and articles, drawings (but a little bit better) and digital art.

When I was a kid, maybe 6 years old, my best friend at the time convinced me that a chocolate called The most beautiful wishes makes wishes come true. We would sit in her kitchen and ask it to become fairies,
Since chocolate wasn't really helpful (surprisingly haha), I decided to make my own wish come true.
And every other, as well.I became fairy on my photos, but now only that - I became everything I wanted and imagined.Limits only exist if you believe in them.

Now I express myself through art. With my editing, I show others myself and the world through my eyes; different than they look at first sight,

If you want a similar edit, I'm here to make your wish come true (more effective that mentioned chocolate) ;) There's a giveaway on my Instagram - click HERE to participate.Only thing you need to have is an Instagram account, and 2 simple rules are in the photo caption.It lasts until Dec 9th. Good luck! ♥

Welcome!

About me

I‘m Dunja (that is pronounced like Do-nia). I wander around Belgrade (occasionally around the world), take too many photos, laugh too loud and scribble all the time.• Welcome to BeingHalcyon, little happy place on Internet where I post my writing and photography. #GoodVibesOnly• Halcyon: (adj.) happy, carefree, idyllic. (n.) Greek goddess that became bird and calmed waves in the winter.